Complaint filed against city commissioner

An ethics complaint has been filed against Entertainment Commission member Audrey Joseph, accusing her of violating city law for lobbying another city agency on behalf of a paid client.

The ethics complaint, filed Thursday by a San Francisco resident who did not want to be identified, cites Joseph’s testimony on Aug. 10 in front of the Small Business Commission, in which she asks the commission to support the creation of a new night club at 449 Powell St. In her testimony, Joseph — who runs her own nightclub consultation business — clearly identifies Chadwick Baumbach and Xavier Jiminez, the club owners, as her clients and asks the commission to support the new business venture as it moves through the city approval process. Interestingly, the club’s permits will be considered Tuesday evening by the Entertainment Commission — Joseph said she will recuse herself from the vote.

Joseph expressed surprise when told of the complaint Monday but said she didn’t feel she had done anything wrong.

“Wow, I just introduced (the club owners) and asked the commission if they would consider having them make a presentation,” she said.

(Another Entertainment Commissioner, recently elected president Justin Roja, may also face some questions after he also testified in front of the Small Business Commission last week on behalf of a pet food store attempting to open in the city. Rojas, who works for a political consultant in addition to owning a nightclub, said Monday that he was not speaking as a commissioner and noted the item was not entertainment-related.)

The complaint against Joseph was filed under the rationale that the city’s campaign and government code prohibits a city officer from “directly or indirectly receiv(ing) any form of compensation to communicate orally, in writing, or in any other manner on behalf of any other person with any other officer or employee of the City and County with the intent to influence a government decision.” Under the city law, the Ethics Commission can make exceptions.